Push-button switch.



A. K. SUTHERLAND. PUSH BUTTON SWlTCH. APPucMnoN msn APR.24. 19:5.

l a? lui ALEXANDER K. SUTHEBLAND, GF PLNVILLE, CNNEC'I'CT, ASSGNGR T THE TRUMBULL ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PLANVILLE, CNNECTL CUT, A CORPORATION OFCONNECTICUI.

P'USH-BUTTN SWITCH..

Application led pril 2, 1915.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER K. SUTHI i ERLAND, a citizen of thc United States, and

a resident of Plainville, in the county of Fairlield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and uset'ul Improvements. in Plush-Button Switches, of which the ifol lowing is a full, clear, and exact description, wherebyany one skilled in the art may make and use `the same,

The invention relates to electric switches and more particularly to a push button s yitch or any type of switch in which the contacting parts are normally held in a locked position and released by a moving element to provide a quick make and break of the contact members. In devices of this character, it has been a common practice to employ a moving, switch blade which blade is placed under a spring tension by the movement of the actuating buttons. The blade is normally locked, until it is fully under tension, through a suitable detent and the detent is then moved to release the blade, permitting it to move very rapidly under its tension. Various mechanisms have been provided. for effecting a release of the detent.

ln a co-pending application, Serial No. 9793, tiled llebruary 23rd, 1915, L have illus- 'tinted a mechanism for releasing the datent in which during a nominal movement ot the actuator, an. amplified or -niultiplied movement is in'iparted to effect the release of the dotent or locking elements. In such devices, accuracy is required to insure proper operation of the releasing` mechanism and detente, particularly after the switch -has been .in service. Great difficulty has been lexperienced inl maintaining sul'iicient accuracy and permitting ready assembly. In con- Aetant use, to which such devices are subjected, it is not an unusual circumstance for the cammme member to "hane' un". That y b a is, to bind or stick durmg its movement so Ythat'a complete movement thereof is not exc-- fted aiter the detent has been released and at which time, the comming member should i be thrown over to .its extremeposition, ready Ifor a new movement.

. The present invention `has to do with a mechanism which overcomes such a dilliculty and while analogous to the imln'ovement shown and described in the prior applica Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 23,655.

tion above referred to, embodies additional features of surety in operation which as* sure a positive positioning of the releasing cam member at everyA movement ott' the 'parts The object of the invention is to provide a switch having` a detent and a releasing device thereitor, which is actuated both by the depression of the operating buttonsv and mechanism and is further subjected to direct operation by a movement ot' the switch blade itselllt is also an object ot' the invention to provide a simple device with features ofeasy assembly and manufacture, which require no bending" or adjusting during assembly, which will prevent pertect operation'during the lite of the switch, A

A still further Objectis to amplify a given `n'iovenient from the actuatingr bar of the switch with reference to the detent, providing' a. minimum of friction, a maximum of movement and, finally to subject the actuating device for the detent to the direct and final blow of the switch bar during its movements and while under tension.

Referring to the. drawings:

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view through the switch.

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig'. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the parts oi? the switch mechanism with the left-hand button partially depressed, the Contact blade beine removed.

Fig. il; illustrates the position of the parts as 4the release taires place between the deteut and with the detent actuator at the central position of its movement.

Fig. 5 is a similar diagranunatic view` illustrating' the detent actuator at the extreme opposite limit of its play as compared with Fig. 3.

Fig. (i is a perspective view of the unassembled parts' and their relative position for assenibly.

is already indicated, it is not new in the art to provide an oscillatory switch blade member and an oscillatory actuating member ton tensioning the same with a detent for holding` the switch blade member duri-ng the tensioning action oi the actuator;

` Neither is it new to provide a detent which will be released upon substantially 'full tensioning movements of the actuator' so that the switch bar will make and break its connections with the contacts instantaneously.

In devices of the prior art, so far as.

thereto forprecluding the possibility of imj proper throw.

. As hereinafter described, the present invention provides, through a cam action, i'or moving the detent, to permit a release of the tensioned switch blade and upon release of the switch blade under tension, the cam is forcibly and positively knocked into its eXtreme position ready for a reverse movement of the switch blade T-his mechanism precludes the possibility of the cam mechanism or detent actuator hanging up. or stopping in a positionilntermediate its intended full length of throw. Much 'of the detail of the ymechanism oi' a snap switch is well-known in the. ait and needs no detail description.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 denotes the insulating receptaclel within which are inclosed and suitably mounted the various parts of the mechanism. v

The stationary contacts are illustrated at 2, 3 and may be of any desired' and approved form. AFitting across the upper portion of the receptacle 1, there is a frame member 4, provided ,with perforations through which the push buttons-G, 7 project and by which they are guided. This frame 4 has dependent members 8,-9 formed integrally therewith and both of these members are slotted l or perforated as at 10, 11 to receive and hold a detent 12.

This detent is best shown in the detail of Fig. 6 and consists of a blankedup bar, one end 13 of which projects through the slot 11 and serves as a stop or detent for the switch blade. The rear end has a shoulder 14 which passes through the perforation 10 of the plate 8 and prevents dislodgment of the bar 12 when the parts are assembled. Overlying the detent bar 12 is a U-shaped spring 15, the upper portion of which has a projecting tang 16 which may be inserted in the slot 11fand with its lower` arm 17 resting upon,` a depressed portion 18 of the bar 12 and against a shoulder 19. This arrangement of spring and bar forms" an interlocking arrangement which will prevent dislodgment of any of the parts when once assembled. It also permits ready assembly of the parts.

A t the lower end of the dependent frame members 8, 9, are stop shoulrf'lers 2O which von its detent ar and raising the same tofree the A limit the movement of the Contact blade yoke 21. This yke 21 embraces the two de pendent portions 8, 9 of the frame -and is pivoted thereto by a pin 22 passing through,

perforations 23. The yoke member 21 has 7@ an upwardly extending arc-shaped arm 24' which cooperates with the detent bar 12, to hold the yoke lin locked position at either limit of its play.

Arranged between the dependent arms 8 75 and 9 and pivoted'uponthe pin, 22 isan actuator bar 25 having a spring barrel 26, two-arm spring 27 and lug 28"pro.jecting between the two arms of the spring.

necting bar of the yoke 21 so that when the yoke member is held against movement by 'the arm 24, and detent bar 12, movement of the actuating ,bar 25 will place the yoke under tension ont the spring 27. y

vProjecting from the upper portion of the actuator bar 25 are lugs 29, 30' which are arranged to engage and move the detent actuator 31.

This actuator 31 is pivotally mounted on 9o the pin 22 just inside the frame member 9? bears .flatly against it. At its upper end, it 1s providedwith two depressions 32,33

and intermediate these depressions is a cam f lsurface 34. AWhen the actuator 31 is ateither 95 through an' engagement with either of the lugs 29,30 of the actuator. 25, itis swung 1vot,.carrying the cam 34 under the arm 241er the switch yoke 2l. l During the movement of the actuator bar to effect' this movement of the detent actuator 31,:'the spring 27 has been placed under tension and the switch yoke and its.` blade 11o are likewise under tension.

The lower en'd'lof the detent actuator 31 is of circular for'n 'as at 35, conforming to the arc of movement'of 'the yoke 21 'which passes about the lower end 35 of the detent 115.;

actuator 31. ,j I u At either end '-f the are 35 are shoulders 36, 37 and these are` sofspaced with reference I to the depressions 32, 33 and cam 34 that the yoke member 21 'will sharpl impinge againstone or the other of the shoulders as soon as it is released 4for a free movement under tension of' its spring asv by the raising l of the detent bar 12. In other words, when the cam 34, at its highest point, is just underlying the detent bar, which is raised to effeet a release between said bar and the sto arm 24, oneJ of the shoulders 36, 37 will be within the arc of movement of the yoke 21.

As the yoke 21 moves instantaneously under 130 The j two arms of the spring 27 straddle the' congo leasing cam, a supporting frame for said ,l Q

, engaging the rameat one end and with its driven against the'detent, and means for imparting an initial releasing movement to the oscillatory cam plate.

8. In a push button switch having an oscillatory switch blade, means for moving said switch blade, a detentdevice andre'- parts having perforations, a detent bar extending throughsaid perforations and having' one end resting upon the releasing cam, a spring engaging the frame and engaging the detent' bar, said spring locking the bar against transverse movement in the perforaf tions of the frame.

9. In a push button vsvviteh having an os- Laagste ,said switch blade, a detent device and releasing cam, a supporting frame for said parts having perforations for a detent bar, a detent bar extending through said perforations, said bar having a shoulder abutting against the frame and having al shoulder for engagement with a spring, and a spring opposite end engaging the spring shoulder of the detent bar, whereby said-detenta bar is held against longitudinal movement in the frame.

y ALEXANDER K. SUTHERLAND.

Witnessesz;

CLARENCE D. PLATT, GEORGE A. CASE. 

